Bright Moon (27 page)

White light permeated Clara’s lids and she
blinked to focus on the shadowed face before her. Tyson’s ice-blue
eyes looked down at her and she thought, for a moment, that he was
there. Her vision focused and she gasped in pain and shock. The
girl standing over her peered out from behind eyes that were the
exact likeness of Tyson’s. She knelt on the simplistic bed Clara
found herself in.

“You have to help me,” she said, her round,
innocent face showing great concern.

Still slow to comprehend, Clara glanced
around and rubbed her forehead. “Help you?”

“Yes! Hurry!” She tugged on Clara’s arm and
glanced to the barred door.

“You…” Clara’s chest filled with a
sickening, hopeful dread as she examined the girl closer. Her
shoulder length hair was the exact same color as Tyson’s. “You’re
Beth!”

“I know,” she replied smartly. “And you’re
Clara. You have to get up, you have to focus,” she begged, pulling
her to a sitting position. “Hit me.”

“What?” she asked in shock.

“Parker treats us with silver, which, I’m
sure you know, stops our wolf instincts,” Beth said, talking
quickly. “With all the excitement, they forgot to inject us, but
they will be back for me any moment. You have to help me reconnect
with my wolf instincts so we can escape. The only way you can is by
hitting me!”

Gathering her resolve, Clara raised her
arm.

“Hurry!” Beth urged. Clara did as she asked
and slapped her soundly across the cheek. Beth yelped and turned
away, covering the spot with two hands.

“I’m sorry!” Clara gasped. “You said—”

She shook her head. “It didn’t work.”

“I’m sorry,” Clara said again.

Beth’s hands fell to her side and she paced
tiny little circles around the only open space in the room. “Do you
know how long it’s been since I was a wolf?” she asked.

Clara shook her head.

“
Five
years. Even so, I failed then
as well.”

“Is it possible for a werewolf to forget
their wolf instincts?”

“I suppose anything is possible,” she said,
continuing to pace. “Was Jack in the pack before Mark took
you?”

“Yes. He can’t hear your name without the
wild wolf raging in him.”

Beth’s breath fell from her lips in a
shudder and she turned away, but not before Clara noticed tears
gathering in her eyes. “And Dawn?” she asked in trembling
voice.

“Dawn is there too,” Clara affirmed.

“I know they believe me dead,” she whispered
and stopped turning about to hold up her left hand. Her ring finger
was missing. “Parker told them I was torn apart until there was
nothing left but my finger.”

Clara covered her mouth and tears pricked
her eyes. “Oh, Beth!”

She shrugged. “It’s no big deal now.” She
tilted her head and leaned closer as she examined Clara. “I’m sorry
my cousin fell in love with you. He lived in fear of doing just
that, even though it was inevitable.”

“I’m not so sure he did,” Clara
whispered.

Scraping noises came from beyond their room
and Beth jumped on the bed, getting as far from the door as she
could. A man came in, one who looked so strong he seemed to have
been chiseled from stone. He wore a blue uniform and a gold eagle
was pinned to his collar. A thick belt sported a number of strange
looking contraptions and a large rifle. His sharp eye darted to
Clara before spotting Beth sitting atop the metal frame of the
bed.

“Are you going to be cute today?” he
growled. “You know how I feel about cute!” He took a small, strange
looking gun from his belt and pointed it at her. Clara heard
herself scream when she pounced on him, trying to buy Beth some
time. The thick muscles on his neck tensed and the veins on his
forehead bulged when he yelled in rage. He knocked her to one side.
She made contact with the edge of the foot of the bed and it
rattled from the force of impact. Completely uninjured, she fell to
the floor. By the time she looked up, the man had a hold of Beth.
Clara got to her feet and blocked his way, grasping Beth’s hands as
if that could keep them together. He didn’t pay attention and
brushed by her, tearing Beth from her grasp.

“Beth?” Clara called, following them to the
door.

“It’s alright,” Beth said and grabbed her
hand again. “I’ll be back.”

Another beefy man in uniform stopped Clara
at the door and pushed her inside. She strained to touch Beth’s
fingers again, but they dragged her out and the door slammed with a
resonating clang. Clara trembled with rage and wiped her sweating
palms on her jeans. Pacing was next to useless and she kicked the
bed instead.

The heavy metal door creaked open and Mark
came in, followed by Parker. Clara felt tears instantly prick her
eyes when her mother was pulled into the cell by yet another man in
uniform. She hung limp in his arms. “Mom!” she gasped. Luzy was
dropped mercilessly. Parker blocked her path when she tried to run
to her. He hooked her upper arm.

“You will have time for a family reunion
later,” Parker said with a twisted smile. “You and I have business
to tend to.”

Mark’s crazed grin met her as he grabbed her
other arm. She pulled against him, hoping for inhuman strength. She
couldn’t break his grip. She watched her mother for movement as
they dragged her out. The heavy cell door shut again and the sound
echoed off stone. Clara’s stomach twisted as they marched by the
barred doors lining the hall.

“Beth has put up quite a fight. You’ve been
causing problems for me already,” Parker said as they walked.

Mark grinned. “Tyson keeps fun little gems,
doesn’t he?”

They came to a room that was futuristic in
contrast to the basic prison. The floors were tiled. Computers and
other machines were mounted on the wall. Most of the equipment was
foreign to her and she could only begin to guess their purposes.
Most daunting of all was a chair in the middle of the room equipped
with leather restraints. She dug her heels into the floor and
worked to free her arm, but Mark shoved her to the chair, holding
her as Parker secured the straps. When she was belted down, Parker
wheeled a metal tray to the chair.

“Now comes the big moment! My family has
been waiting for this for centuries,” he said quietly as he lined a
few tools neatly on the tray. She was reminded of being in a
dentist’s chair, one she couldn’t escape. “There is a bit of bad
news for Mark,” Parker added as Mark raised his phone and pushed
the record button. “This won’t be very painful if you don’t fight
it.” His long fingers picked up a scalpel. The angular tip glinted
in the light. She shrank when he raised it to her arm. Mark leaned
in to get a better shot. She waited for the prick of pain, but only
felt pressure when he touched. When he pushed harder, she hardly
dared peak. He leaned back with a cuss. Something was wrong. Her
arm was completely unscathed.

“Turn that blasted thing off!” Parker
snapped at Mark. He raised the surgeon’s knife once again and
attempted to make another hole. He pressed and the knife bent, but
didn’t leave a mark. Both men stared, perplexed by the anomaly.

“That was unexpected,” Mark commented,
lowering his phone.

“How do we retrieve the blood if we can’t
cut her skin? Take her back until we can figure this out!” Parker
snapped.

Mark glanced at his phone disappointedly.
“But—”

“Forget that stupid camera and take her
back!” Parker snarled. His voice was uglier than a growling wolf.
Mark sighed and pulled the straps loose, taking her arm. In the
hall, the brawny man that had taken Beth fell in step behind them,
his heavy boots echoing off the empty walls. Mark was about to open
the door to the cell when he hesitated and glanced to his
companion. She watched impatiently, anxious to see her mom. “Just
because Parker can’t have any fun doesn’t mean we shouldn’t, eh
Felix?” he said, and they shared conniving smiles. He opened the
door and allowed her access. Beth had returned and was on the floor
holding Luzy’s head in her lap while stroking her hair. They were
on the furthest bed huddled together. Clara felt lightheaded. The
bed squeaked when she knelt on the mattress.

“Mom!”

Luzy’s emerald green eyes flashed open and
she grasped Clara’s hand. She choked on her emotions when she
spoke. “Clara! My dear, Clara!” They hugged and Luzy was barely
strong enough to complete the action. “I missed you so much.”

Their embrace was torn when Mark ripped Luzy
away. Felix caught Clara as she lunged toward her mother.

“Leave her alone!” she yelled.

“You may be interested to know that we just
learned we can’t hurt your daughter.” Mark held Luzy up by her arm
because she was too weak to support herself. Clara didn’t like the
evil, enthralled look on his face, or the chuckles emanating from
Felix. Mark turned his phone back on and began recording. “I have
good news,
brother
,” he said and allowed the lens to sweep
first to Beth then Luzy and, finally, Clara. Beth’s jaw tightened
and she glared. “As you can see our cousin isn’t as dead as you
thought. As for the Rita mother…” His fist smashed across Luzy’s
jaw. She rolled to the ground and let out a small whimper of
pain.

“Stop!” Clara screamed and pulled against
Felix’s unwavering grip. Mark kicked Luzy’s ribcage. Beth’s scream
matched Clara’s and she hurried to try and stop him. With silver
coursing through her veins, she was too slow and he threw her with
little effort. She crashed against the bed then fell to the floor,
only half conscious and moaning in pain. Clara let her weight drop
and struggled to be free. Felix yanked her back, still
laughing.

“Mark, please stop!” she yelled. “You’re
going to kill her!”

“If only it were that easy,” Mark said
nastily. Beth hadn’t moved from where she’d landed.

Clara’s chest and fingers went hot. She
kicked back and jerked her arms free, nearly falling in surprise
when Felix actually let go. She wheeled on him her hair whipping
the air. “STOP!” she screamed. He was taken aback and there were
hints of fear in his eyes. His arms were suspended in midair from
trying to refasten his grip, but he let them fall to his sides.

“Mark, maybe that’s enough for today,” he
said.

“I suppose I have what I need. Do you want
to say anything to Jo?” he asked and turned to Clara. She ignored
him and rushed to her mother, barely hearing when they left. Beth
joined them a moment later, nodding her head when Clara started to
ask if she was okay.

“Mom!” Clara sobbed, unable to stop the
tears. Bruises were forming on her mother’s cheek. “I’m sorry, mom,
so sorry.”

“No,” Lucita said and sat up with help.
“You’re in this mess because of me.”

“No, don’t say that,” Clara breathed and
drew her mom into an embrace. Luzy gasped as if trying to contain
the pain. The moan that followed said she failed.

“She needs to rest,” Beth said.

“Try to relax mom, everything will be
alright,” Clara said in a trembling voice. “Beth is right, you need
to rest.”

Luzy snorted at the irony, but her body
relaxed bit by bit until she fell asleep. Clara looked over her
mother’s slight frame and dirty skin, guilt ridden to know she’d
lived in the horrid conditions well over a year. She glanced at
Beth, not daring to dwell on all she’d endured.

As she thought, Clara realized she’d been
making a fist. Her hand was cramping from the tension and her
fingernails digging into her palm. Slowly she forced her fingers
open and was surprised to see little curved red marks where her
nails had cut her skin. She stared at the marks, transfixed as they
gradually healed before her eyes. If a knife couldn’t break her
skin how could her pitiful little nails? She couldn’t dwell on the
matter. Beth helped Clara move Luzy to a bed. Clara sat next to
her, holding her hand. Beth took to pacing about the room.

“Your wolf instincts didn’t return,” Clara
observed.

“I thought I sensed something, but the
silver has already weakened me.”

Clara’s heart fell when she heard footsteps
in the hall again. Felix strode through, his huge arms flexing
menacingly.

“They want to see you again,” he said.

She bit her tongue when words of protest
came to her lips. The last thing she wanted was to risk hurting her
mother by not complying, so she followed him. They passed two other
men dressed in the similar uniforms and armed with monstrous,
rippling muscles as well as a gun on their belt.

“How can you work for a werewolf hunter?”
she asked without looking either in the eye.

“I don’t work for a werewolf hunter,” he
answered. “I work for a cure seeker. We know you are the cure,
girl. I would watch what I say if I were you. Most of us would not
hesitate to drink your blood this very moment if immortality would
ensue. We can only hope he will find the key to spilling your blood
before the new moon.”

Her stomach tightened with further dread and
she bit her lip. Soon, she was back in the chair with the
restraints. Parker produced a small plastic cup of water. “Be a
good girl and drink this without a fight.”

“What is it?” she asked.

“Silver,” Mark answered.

“Shut-up!” Parker warned. “If you open your
fat mouth again, I won’t let you back in this room.”

“It’s alright,” she said. “I’ll take
it.”

Parker scowled and brought the cup to her
lips. She swallowed the concoction. It wasn’t very different
tasting from mineral water. Mark whipped out his phone but lowered
it when Parker gave a warning glare. They waited a few minutes
before Parker pulled her left arm straight and tried once more to
prick her skin. The scalpel could not break the surface.

“It doesn’t affect her,” Parker slammed the
knife down.

“Maybe the silver just needs more time.”

“You know it works instantaneously,” Parker
growled. “There must be a way to retrieve her blood! How could a
werewolf drink and be cured unless there is a way?”
Clara thought of how she’d been able to break her own skin but she
bit her lip. She wasn’t about to let Parker know of her findings.
She held her breath and prayed they would let her go back to her
mom. Parker took a hold of her chin and fear coursed down her arms
when she temporarily forgot he couldn’t hurt her.